A few weeks ago I recounted the story of Murazel, the Guardian Angel of Hammer Fall. Today I will tell you about
another member of Ivan’s council, the Wizard Tanis of the Silver Cities.
It is easy to forget that Tanis is a powerful Wizard, for her powers of seduction tend to get noticed first.
Independent and romantic, considered an astounding beauty even by the high standards of the Silver Cities, more rumours
revolve around Tanis than any other member of Duke Ivan’s council. A direct descendent of the founders of the Academies of
Magic and the daughter of a mixed house marriage, her father from House Materia, her mother from House Anima, Tanis is a
representative of the Circle of Nine, sent to spread the influence of the Silver Cities throughout Ashan.

Tanis has always appeared in areas of trouble and dispute and then just as quickly disappeared – one of her
nicknames is the “Eyes of the Cities”, another “the Silver Tongue”; though none would dare say this to her face. As a
Wizard, Tanis specializes in the Anima House of magic, and is therefore a master of elemental magic and spirit summoning.

Tanis has been sent to advise Duke Ivan in this crucial time of civil war. She saved his life in a dire situation,
and since then, she has become a trusted confidant and member of his war council. In fact, Tanis has tarried in Ivan’s
company longer than she remained anywhere else –whether this is a sign of the Duke’s great destiny or something more
personal is yet to be decided. Regardless of the truth of the matter, there have been whispers that she has somehow
bewitched him, even within the council...

Tanis doesn’t seem to care about the mistrust she inspires in some. She is rarely angry, and is the first to try
and alleviate all tensions, using humour and a light touch to diffuse situations. Occasionally this tactic has been known
to enrage other members of Ivan’s Council who do not see the wisdom in her words, often clouded by the invasive perfume of
her charms. Tanis is versed in the art of storytelling, and often relies heavily on the power of metaphor and lyricism.
After all, she comes from a culture where bedtime stories are encoded with the wisdom of the ages, and, in fact, are
written more for adults than children.